episode_0141

Step by step, put your feet up the stairs.

I didn’t stop walking to meet the demon king who was waiting for me on the top floor.

‘It’s quiet.’

It seemed like no one was left except for the elite demons who were waiting on the first floor.

There was no sign of mobilizing all of the demons to block the path ahead.

That means you are confident in your skills.

I slowly headed upward in a quiet place where I could hear my heartbeat.

‘… … Is this the end?’

At the end of the stairs, on the top floor, there was a wide cavity and dozens of pillars.

A path continues between pillars arranged in a column, and at the end… … .

An ominous black fog and a being with flashing red eyes within it came into view.

The Demon King whom I had only seen in the reminiscences of the first warrior. He was radiating much stronger magical energy than in the past and was looking at me insidiously.

He even gave a creepy smile as if he was waiting for me.

“Where are you making that disgusting smile?”

I immediately reached for my sword to cut off his head, but an uninvited guest appeared.

A monocle-wearing demon leisurely walking out from behind a pillar.

I remember him as a man who was second in rank in the Demon King’s army and a staff member who came to take Hiel away.

“You won’t be able to touch the devil’s jade body, hero.”

“I was wondering where the tomboy was, and he was hiding there?”

“Don’t get upset about defeating the bad guys… !”

“Then you must be the most insignificant of all the jobbers. While the other guys fought hard, you just watched from behind.”

“Ha! What an ignorant warrior. While they were buying time, I was thoroughly preparing. To end you with my own hands!”

“Anyway, the scrawny little guy talks the most.”

Since time was running out, I rushed forward to dispose of the last remaining remnants.

I don’t know what preparations were made, but since Hyel said that his combat skills are inferior to his, it won’t be much of a deal.

He drew his sword back and tried to slit his throat in one go.

That time when passing between the first pillars.

Suddenly, I felt a pain stabbing my skin and stopped in place.

“… … He’s struggling quite cutely, isn’t he?”

“It is Hydra’s poison that melts all the organs of any living thing.”

footing. Before I knew it, a green magic circle symbolizing poison had spread out.

It appears that Hydra’s poison was used as a medium for magic.

The force was so great that blood flowed out of my mouth and nose.

He spat out thick blood along with his saliva, blocked one side of his nose, and let go of the cough.

“It’s a magical beast’s poison that regenerates no matter how many times you cut its head.”

“You look quite relaxed. How long can such a reaction be shown?”

“Relaxed. Because decryption has already been completed.”

“Don’t be bluff!”

“No, thinking about it again, I can’t call it detoxification. Because I burned the poison with fire.”

To me, who has the heart of a fire dragon, fire is harmless.

For that reason, I set fire to my blood vessels and all organs to completely remove the hydra’s poison.

Although it is an extreme poison that never goes away, its unique regenerative power disappears when set on fire like a hydra.

“It was a fucking bad poison like you.”

“Hero… !”

Unless you are a fire dragon, you cannot set your own body on fire, so it is fatal.

It’s just that I didn’t have a good relationship with him.

After completing the detox successfully, I tried to spur my legs again, but a sight that made me frown was unfolding.

“If you thought that the magic circle from before was everything, you would be sorely mistaken!”

“I prepared it in a jingly way.”

Just 1 step.

The staff set up magic circles that appeared every step of the way in layers.

It encompassed the entire space, so there was no detour, and even if you were not on the staff, you had to step on the magic circle to get to the Demon King.

Poison, curse, paralysis, blindness, fear, slow, sleep, binding, freeze, electric shock, petrification, etc.

A dirty situation where you have to step on a trap that causes all kinds of status ailments even though you know it exists.

It was truly unpleasant.

“I didn’t want to use this method because it’s barbaric, but it can’t be helped with a 20-stack magic circle.”

I took out Grishuras from behind my back.

A rough-looking greatsword of predation.

A large sword that was large enough to be carried over one’s shoulder was struck hard on the ground.

“Watch me erase all the magic circles you boasted about.”

I ran forward, holding the handle tightly while stabbing the ground until there was a dent in the bottom.

Druddeuddeuddeuk-!

An ear-piercing sound rang out, and the ground of the Demon Castle began to crack.

“Grishulas, eat it all!”

[Ah, ah, ah, ah, la, la, la, la, la, ah, ah, ah, ah, write, stand, stand, stand, uh, uh, uh!]

With a tremendous vibration, Grishlas sucked in everything that came into contact with the magic circle.

Grishlas devoured the magic circles, so I was able to move forward with great ease.

I couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of continuing like this and breaking the staff’s head.

“Hahaha!”

“You’re pushing it in such an ignorant way… ! There must be an acid in the magic circle that is fatal to swords!”

“My child also takes acid.”

Grishuras is a tremendous sword that can eat enough to lower the sea level.

The amount of food she absorbs is immeasurable, and she is so picky that you wonder if there is anything she cannot eat.

Acidity is ultimately just vinegar that adds a little acidity to Grishuras.

“Is there a room you can use? If things continue like this, your hair will fly off, right?”

“I won’t just sit back and watch!”

The staff, who belatedly realized the situation, started using various magic and throwing it at me.

Grishlas is absorbing the magic circle.

Because it was a heavy sword, it had to be dragged with both hands and could not be blocked with other swords.

I had no choice but to hold on to Grishlas and dodge the incoming magic or kick it with my legs.

By taking advantage of the property of demon energy to repel divine power, it was possible to repel divine power by surrounding it with the body.

This is impossible if it is magic created with magical power, but the magic of demons uses demon energy.

There was no reason why I, who had awakened to the manifestation of divine power, could not stop it.

“I enjoyed eating until the last dessert!”

A situation where most of the magic circle has been destroyed and only one remains.

I lifted Grishlas with all my might and threw it into the center of the magic circle.

After making Grishlas absorb the magic circle, he cuts off the staff member’s head with another sword.

That was when I placed my hand on Hibana, following the perfect plan I had envisioned in my head.

“Ugh?!”

The moment the sole of my foot touched the magic circle, I experienced an abnormality that I had never felt before.

A floating state in which the mind is clear and the body is light, but the feet are not actually touching the ground.

And I couldn’t feel the weight of all the swords on my body.

The figure of the staff member who had been so close suddenly disappeared and darkness covered my vision.

“Is this your real name?”

It was different. If only sight is taken away, sound, presence, and touch must be felt.

But no sound was heard, no touch felt, and nothing was seen.

It felt like I was thrown into the dark.

Although he was in a critical condition during the battle, there was no sense of danger at all.

“This place… … .”

Because it was a place I had been to once before.

Five shards of glass scattered on the floor.

Memories of a past life where I was unable to protect myself and met a miserable end.

I came to the end without even looking into the end, but I thought the ending wouldn’t be much different.

“I still want to see you.”

They say that it is better to forget painful memories.

But it was ambiguous to think that was right.

Isn’t it possible to succeed only by using the past as a failure and moving forward?

My past lives were no different from failures.

We didn’t fully achieve our goals, we failed to prevent death, we failed to make better choices, and we had to leave loved ones behind.

After experiencing a failure like this, I decided that I would not do that again in this life.

He did everything in his power to achieve his goal, became strong enough to prevent death from coming easily, and always made the best choice.

And I made precious people close to me.

“You should not be afraid of failure, you must learn from it.”

I went to the last crystal ball that was broken in vain.

He collected the fragments that were broken into several pieces and placed them in the palm of his hand.

I wanted to see the last memory of my fate with Grishlas.

Again! Again! Again!

Drops of blood dripping down.

I clasped my hands together, not caring that the splinters tore my skin and pricked my flesh.

Soon, light began to leak out from within the palms of my hands, and when I opened both hands, a neatly restored crystal sphere was emerging.

A crystal ball that emits bright light.

Without hesitation, I stretched out my hand and entrusted my consciousness to the memories inside the crystal ball.

***

XX day, XX month, XXXX year.

An unlucky primitive boy who was abandoned by his tribe and sacrificed to the sea.

Wake up on a desert island.